The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Protected Resource Division located in St. Petersburg, FL intend to acquire for Analysis of Benthic Macro-invertebrates in Choctawhatchee Bay in Relation to Relocation Sites of Telemetered Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) and Available Habitats from Jerry Mclelland, Gulf Benthic Taxonomy Assessment Laboratory.
The Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) is well established along the northern Gulf of Mexico (Stabile et al. 1996) but little is known about its feeding habits in estuarine and marine environments. Macrobenthic invertebrate abundance and composition in known Gulf sturgeon habitat of Choctawhatchee Bay Florida has been documented in the late 1990's by Fox et al. 2002. Analyzing samples collected by Fox et al. (2002), McLelland and Heard (2004) subsequently found that food did not appear to be a limiting factor for the Gulf sturgeon population frequenting Choctawhatchee Bay, estimated at 1800-2300 individuals, and suggested that the bay could probably support up to 6900 individuals if water quality did not deteriorate due to anthropogenic factors. Recently the Choctawhatchee Bay watershed has experienced exponential human population growth and development. In general, watersheds subjected to urban land use are characterized by lower species diversity, altered community composition and food webs, and reduced habitat diversity (Roth et al. 1996). Such pollution can create hypoxic conditions, which could potentially reduce Gulf sturgeon fitness as well as reduce the presence of potential prey items in benthic habitats.

This research will attempt to assess species diversity and density of macroinvertebrates as a food resource for Gulf sturgeon in Choctawhatchee Bay as well as species diversity and density of macroinvertebrates throughout all of Choctawhatchee Bay. These data will be directly compared with macrobenthic populations previously identified by McLelland and Heard in 2004 from the same area to assess changes in the Gulf sturgeon foraging potential.
The government knows of only one source Jerry McLelland, Gulf Benthic Taxonomy Assessment Laboratory qualified to provide the serviced required for this project. This project required the comparison with previously collected data and samples that are the propriety data of the Laboratory (Drs. McLelland and Heard). Specifically, benthic substrate was collected in 1999 during a Gulf sturgeon project (Fox et al., 2002) and was analyzed to determine that prey was not a limiting factor in the activity area ofGulf sturgeon (McLelland and Heard (2004). This data is the property of the Gulf Benthic Taxonomy Assessment Laboratory and are only available to the authors Drs. McLelland and Heard.

Interested parties must respond within (7) seven days after publication of this notice. The government knows of only one source. The government invites firms that believe they have the capability to meet the requirement to response, providing specific information that will enable the government to determine whether or not to compete the requirement. Faxed information can be sent to 816-274-6983 or physically sent Department of Commerce, Attn: Sharon Walker, 601 E. 12th St, Room 1756, Kansas City, MO 64106. Email responses can be sent to [email protected].

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